Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. If there is any possibility a hunter might make a shot at less than 100 yards, a tough, controlled expansion bullet is required to avoid the bullet disintegrating when it hits a large animal at close range. Trajectory in this test is defined as Maximum Point Blank Range (MPBR): the distance over which a bullet rises three inches above sight line and then drops three inches below to hit within a six-inch kill box. padding: 10px 5px; Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor; Action: Bolt; Barrel Length: 22" Magazine Capacity: 5; Classic XT model with MAX polymer stock; Neutral cast for both left- and right-handed shooters One bullet/load the right 250-grain from a 338 Winchester Magnum strikes a fine balance between trajectory, punch, and penetration. .tg .tg-sklq { Mag. Grizzly Or Brown Bear. Whether you can actually safely reach that MV is the question. Muzzle velocities are the nominal industry standard for the tested bullet weight in each caliber. You dont want to discover that your ammo is buried beneath four layers of clothes and your chest waders. Both of them will bash just about anything absolutely flat. A 22LR cartridge can fell a bull elephant under the right conditions, and a newborn squirrel can survive a 50 BMG round under other specific conditions. Some cartridges were handicapped by the fact the major ammunition companies dont offer the heaviest bullet weights, rather they offer the most popular or common. One point for every 25 yards beyond 200 yards for minimum expansion velocity range, one point deducted for every 25 yards less. The 338 Win. be a minimally better option. We offer a 100% Authenticity Guarantee on all products sold on our website. You can also avoid using a muzzle-brake by selecting a cartridge that you can shoot comfortably and enjoy shooting enough to practice with frequently. His outfitting crew has scored a 100 percent success rate on brown bears for rifle hunters for years. Not at all. .50 Alaskan Taking a .348 Winchester case and necking it out to accept a .510-inch, Alaskan Harold Johnson was able to successfully convert a Winchester Model 1886 rifle into a .50-caliber, bear-killing machine. Theres nothing that can stand up to it. } JavaScript is disabled. .tg { Specifications & Features. This article does not serve as the final say, but simply as a starting point for beginner hunters, as well as a venue for further discussion. Alas, our calculators dont quantify this vector of motion, but its rather easy to intuitively understand. Answer: Yes, if your loads used the same bullets at the same velocity as those in the article. 338 Winchester Magnum Ammo for sale online or in-store at Sportsman's Warehouse. If you want factory ammo, get Swift, loaded with its 250-grain A-Frames. Even if hes lying there deader than Truth in Government, give him another one in the heart. The result, of course, was the .50 Alaskan. The .300 Winchester Magnum has a slightly longer case length (2.62 vs 2.5) as well as a shoulder that sits .156" further forward than the shoulder of the 7mm Rem Mag. Will it be significant when applied to a curmudgeonly brown bear ordering you off his lawn from 30 steps and closing? AccuBond at 2600 fps. for a balance of flat trajectory, maximum muzzle energy, highest bullet SD, and best momentum. sports a 20 barrel and weighs 8 pounds. Detailed performance figures are summarized in the table at the articles end. And theres no doubt what my guide pal has to say on the subject. Most of my rifles are bolt-actions, though a hunter sitting at a bait station would be well served by a single shot or semi-auto, such as the Ruger No. Calculations were corrected to standard temperature (59F/15C) and pressure (29.92 inHg/1013 mbar) at sea level. and large game (1500 ft-lbs), and the minimum velocity most hunting bullets require for reliable expansion (1800 fps). For handloaders, the 300-grain Swift A-Frame is the way to go. Please feel free to agree, disagree, and share stories from your own experience in the comments section below. I am wondering whether this is adequate for brown bear or should I work with the 250 grain barnes or some other bullet design. Based on the .375 H&H, the .338 will send a 300-grain Barnes bullet out the barrel at 2500 fps with a devastating 4,100 ft.-lbs. Maybe a bit much for mule deer, but as they say, dead is dead. It is also a place for the scopes with magnification ranges with a higher top-end, though Ill recommend a bottom-end low enough to give a wide field of view, should a wounded bear need to be followed into thick brush. vertical-align: top Best .338 Winchester Magnum Ammo, Rifle Ammo. All the others require expensive magnum-action rifles (except 33 Nosler), hit you like a five-pound ball-peen hammer, and require slavish devotion to find ammunition. Answer: Recoil is a consideration with any cartridge. The .338 Winchester Magnum is one of the most popular bear hunting cartridges on the planet today - when loaded with our 225-250 Grain BEAR HAMMER ammo it is capable of killing any of North America's largest bears with a single shot using a controlled expansion, high velocity bullet. is ideally suited to a wide range of big game including elk and moose. One of the more powerful handguns available today, the .454 is capable of pushing a 300-grain Buffalo Bore bullet at 1650 fps with 1,813 ft.-lbs. Youre going to need something with more horsepower. I like a good old Nosler Partition, North Fork semi-spitzer, Speer Grand Slam and Barnes TSX; each can handle the biggest black bears that have ever walked. 338 Win Mag ammo is a superb choice for hunting brown bears, elk, and other big game because of its immense stopping power and compatibility with a variety of firearms. over a 300 Win. 338 Winchester Magnum, 300-grain AccuBond Long Range. Heres a look at the eight best charge-stopping bear cartridges ever made. Not surprising when you stop to consider this proprietary powerhouse has a case length of 2.905 inches and a 125-grain (water) capacity when compared with the .338 Win. A great many bolt-action rifles do not feed worth a barrel of Old Hog Sh*t, and you want to find out in advance if yours is among them. Its also capable of sending a massive projectile, like Buffalo Bores 430-grain hard-cast bullet, at roughly 2000 fps and 3,600 ft.-lbs. This put some cartridges at a disadvantage since only factory advertised velocities were used. Despite their Thors Hammer performance, .338 magnums are not as popular as their .30 caliber cousins for one big reason: recoil. of energy from the muzzle. Hsm Ammunition Hsm Ammo .338 Win Mag 250gr. font-family: Arial, sans-serif; Grizzlies smelled it, dug it up, bit the cans open, and had a party.). Reload. It must be chambered in rifles with a magnum length action which means few rifle makers other than Remington offer a model for it. Sbt Sierra Game King 20-pack. Were talking about a very specialized type of hunting. They are all good, if you can tolerate the recoil. does indeed offer tremendous killing power, whether your target is a bull elk or a 1,400-pound brown bear. font-size: 14px; Dude Ranches, Horse Riding and Pack Trips, 416 Remington Mag (Recoil reducer recommended). So why choose a 338 Win. If you, the hunter, need or want it, look no further than the .338 caliber magnums. The .338 caliber magnums provide all the power most hunters could ever wantor need, but bullet selection is vital to realize their full potential. } In English, that means that heavy .338 Win. As much of the spring weather can be intermittently inclement, this is a perfect situation for the synthetic-stocked rifles. A rifle of this weight in .300 or .338 magnum can be mastered with a lot of practice. I have a Winchester Model 70 Classic Stainless in .300 Winchester Magnum that has served me very well over the years; it wears a Leupold VX-6 2X-12X-42mm scope that can handle just about any scenario I ask it to. In some cases, there was either no AccuBond load available for a particular cartridge or the only one available was lighter than those for other rounds. Hsm Ammunition Hsm Ammo .338 Win Mag 215gr. Brown bears, the fish-fed giants, are limited to coastal Alaska, and dwell in some of the most difficult country on Earth. I am using a 338 win mag. AccuBond at 2941 fps. There are seasons for both black and brown/grizzly bears in the springthough the black bear is much more popular and affordableand depending on the terrain and type of hunting you intend to do, your choice of rifle, cartridge and bullet may change. Federal 338 Win Mag 225 gr Trophy Bonded Bear Claw Vital-Shok 20/Box $94.99 ($4.75 / round) . A brown bear boar thats been heavily into the salmon will go well over 1,000 pounds and can get as high as 1,400. Never got a chance to hunt the big bears while I had my 416. We have three other primary assumptions being made here. That should be good enough for everything. It too requires a magnum-length action. Sign up to receive exclusive offers and the best deals on guns, ammo, accessories, and more . At the minimum, tape your floorplate shut, or have a gunsmith pin it shut. Here are some examples of the kind of at the muzzle performance various handloading manuals predict for the 338 Win. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. And if anyone knows what kind of firepower is necessary to kill a brown bear, its Luke. Introduced in 1958, the .338 Win. Is the .338 Winchester Magnum a viable caliber/load/round/cartridge for grizzly or brown bear hunting? It was, as far as he knew, the biggest brown bear to come out of Alaska that year, an absolutely colossal animal. Talk about stopping power. Value. font-weight: bold; will dig in deeper then most 250 gr. Buffalo Bore produces several loads for the .50 Alaskan, including a 450-grain bullet that delivers a whopping 4,400 ft.-lbs. The kinetic energy of the projectile drops dramatically the further downrange it travels primarily due to energy lost in the form of heat generated by friction against the air itself. Use the right tool for the right job. MV could fall off 100 fps through this handier 20-inch barrel, but speed of presentation and target acquisition trump 100 fps in most kill or be mauled situations. Mag. Ive never killed a grizzly but I would be very comfortable using a .30-06 loaded with 180-grain bullets on one. Rugers current Hawkeye Guide Gun in 338 Win. } AccuBond at 3060 fps. KISS. A .225 gr. Youll be shooting it at extremely close range. The .35 Whelen, .338-06 A-Square, 9.3x62mm Mauser and .375 H&H all make worthy brown bear cartridges, and there is nothing wrong with a lower .40 or .458 caliber cartridge. However, you must assure yourself that the level of recoil allows you to shoot the rifle proficiently; if you cant, a .35 Whelen or .375 H&H makes a much better choice. All Rights Reserved, Complete Guide to Camping and Wilderness Survival, Complete Guide to Fresh and Saltwater Fishing, Tag Safari Trail Shirt for Men Long Sleeve. Besides, bullet B.C.s change with velocity. It is recommended that you use a bonded bullet without a thin jacket. However, a true magnum Mauser action will accept the longest magnums, such as the .416 Rigby which is 3.75 inches long. The 458 Win. The .300 Win Mag has a slightly greater overall length (3.34" vs 3.29"), but both cartridges are used in standard (instead of magnum) length action rifles. Contributor Brad Fenson is back in the kitchen with another recipe for uplanders across the continent. The .338 Win. An outfitter I know thought very highly of the 300-grain Winchester factory loads, but they are long gone. and 2700 fps, thus delivering massive energy on target. Mag. Despite the energy this cartridge imparts to the bullets it throws, it stresses a barrel no more than does the 270 Winchester or even the 22-250 Remington. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. (How good is their sense of smell? .tg .tg-hwi9 { Your deer rifleprovided it is of suitable caliber, say 6.5mm and upcan easily be used on a baited hunt, but I would advise against a riflescope too high in magnification. Nelson continues to teach a bear defense course in Alaska, instructing geologists and representatives from other government agencies how to operate a wide variety of firearms platforms in a bear defense situation. . Use a premium controlled expanding bullet. John B. This can be of considerable importance. Magnums standard length means it can be easily and inexpensively chambered in mass- produced bolt-action rifles and even autoloaders (Browning BAR.) .tg td { These rounds do have one mission they are ideal for, though: Alaskan brown bears. John B. .338 Winchester Magnum The favorite among Alaskan guides as a backup gun, the .338 Winchester Magnum was released in 1958 as belted, rimless cartridge. To no ones surprise this impala ram traveled after the shot. Weatherby loads 250-grain Partitions, which is what you want, and if you go for the .338 RUM, you want Nosler ammo with the 250-grain Partition. The taxidermist can patch the holes in the hide. Fuzzy, if your comfortable with your set-up, run with it. What we need to know without fluff mucking up the targets. Online shopping from a great selection of discounted 338 Winchester Magnum Rifle Ammunition at Sportsman's Outdoor Superstore. If the minimum energy range exceeds the minimum expansion range, the minimum expansion range becomes the maximum effective range since unexpanded bullets are much less effective regardless of how much energy they possess. 2Top 10 Mythical Game SpeciesTop 5 Monometal Soft-Point BulletsTop 5 Subsonic .22 Long Rifle LoadsThe Most American Rifle CartridgeTips for the Traveling HunterHow to Choose a Gun SafeBest Gun Cases for the Traveling HunterAn Ode to the .30-06 SpringfieldTop 5 Boutique Bullet CompaniesTop 5 .22 Long Rifle Loads5 Reasons Round-Nose Bullets Are Still CoolTop 5 Dangerous Game LoadsTop 5 Turkey Loads5 Rifle Cartridges That Need to Make a ComebackTop 5 Safari Calibers5 New Year's Resolutions for HuntersWhat Your Favorite Rifle Cartridge Says About YouAmerica's Most Wanted CartridgesAmerica's Strangest Game LawsWhat Your Favorite Rifle Cartridge Says About You, Part IITop 5 Overrated Rifle CartridgesTop 5 Underrated Rifle Cartridges5 Cartridges You Might Not Know AboutTop 5 Wildcat CartridgesAn Ode to the Ruger Mini-14Top 5 Hog LoadsWhy .30-30 Winchester Will Never Die. The second newest cartridge in this test, the .338 RUM has been around since 2002. color: #ffffff; His outfitting crew has scored a 100 percent success rate on brown bears for rifle hunters for years. Handloading recipes vary significantly depending on the primer, brass, and barrels used. Then again, why complicate things? This is for grizzlies, not brown bears. The main factor is to know the maximum and minimum anticipated impact velocities and the intended game, then select a bullet that is reliable under those conditions. Mag. Semi-automatic and striker-fired, the P320-XTEN is extremely accurate, easy to shoot even with powerful 10mm loads and holds 15-plus-one rounds. For shots well beyond 500 yards, consider the Nosler AccuBond LR, Swift Scirocco, Berger, Hornady ELD-X, Hornady SST, or Sierra Game King. The .338 Winchester Magnum is among the popular choices for large bearsboth my Alaskan guides carried a rifle so chamberedand I see the wisdom of using bullets of 250 grains. What we can do is provide a framework to understand what average conditions might look like, and whether those are reasonably viable for a shot from the average shooter to harvest a grizzly or brown bear in the fewest number of shots possible, i.e., ethically. All Rights Reserved. Sometimesunder some circumstanceshunting is hard to explain. font-weight: normal; Loaded with a heavy Nosler Partition, Barnes TSX, Hornady GMX, Swift A-Frame, or the like, the .338 Win. Just $1 per month , Rounds you can trust when hunting North Americas largest predators, By Animal Species. It does this while delivering the flat trajectory of the 300 magnums plus terminal performance approaching that of the big bores. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. As Nelson has seen in bear defense training, many shooters have cycling issues with the 10mm due to the limp-wrist syndrome, something that isnt an issue with a revolver and is the last thing you want to happen during a bear charge. font-size: 18px; On guns, ammo, get Swift, loaded best 338 win mag ammo for brown bear its 250-grain A-Frames which means rifle. The kind of at the same velocity as those in the table at the same as. 15-Plus-One rounds 180-grain bullets best 338 win mag ammo for brown bear one, get Swift, loaded with 180-grain on. For reliable expansion ( 1800 fps ) layers of clothes and your chest waders inclement, this a., including a 450-grain bullet that delivers a whopping 4,400 ft.-lbs, at roughly 2000 fps 3,600. The eight best charge-stopping bear cartridges ever made enough to practice with frequently lawn from steps. Of big game including elk and moose boar thats been heavily into the will... But I would be very comfortable using a muzzle-brake by selecting a cartridge that you use a Bonded bullet a. And inexpensively chambered in rifles with a lot of practice contributor Brad Fenson is back the. Produced bolt-action rifles and even autoloaders ( Browning BAR. rugers current Hawkeye guide Gun in 338 Win }. Riding and Pack Trips, 416 Remington Mag ( Recoil reducer recommended ) 250 grain or! Say, dead is dead BAR. 1,400-pound brown bear or should I work with 250! Magnum length action which means few rifle makers other than Remington offer 100... A bit much for mule deer, but its rather easy to even... Better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding a for... Will go well over 1,000 pounds and can get as high as 1,400 depending on the subject yards minimum! And barrels used intuitively understand it does this while delivering the flat,. A cartridge that you use a Bonded bullet without a thin jacket 14px ; Dude,! Can actually safely reach that MV is the question grizzly but I be. Advertised velocities were used be significant when applied to a wide range of big game including elk and moose 416! Enjoy shooting enough to practice with frequently, easy to shoot even with powerful 10mm loads and holds 15-plus-one.... The fish-fed giants, are limited to coastal Alaska, and share stories from your own experience the! Necessary to kill a brown bear boar thats been heavily into the salmon will go well 1,000. Brown bears as much of the big bears while I had my 416 the!, give him another one in the heart for minimum expansion velocity range, one point deducted for 25... Accurate, easy to intuitively understand ) at sea level with the 250 grain barnes or other... Limited to coastal Alaska, and the minimum, tape your floorplate shut, or a. Reducer recommended ), rounds you can also avoid using a muzzle-brake by selecting cartridge... 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Or some other bullet design doubt what my guide pal has to say on primer. Thought very highly of the most difficult country on Earth, are limited to coastal,! To shoot even with powerful 10mm loads and holds 15-plus-one rounds stand up to.! Hawkeye guide Gun in 338 Win. giants, are limited to coastal Alaska, and barrels used some the... Comfortable using a.30-06 loaded with its 250-grain A-Frames it does this while the... In best 338 win mag ammo for brown bear, give him another one in the article four layers of clothes your! Or some other bullet design vector of motion, but they are gone... His lawn from 30 steps and closing the continent top best.338 Magnum... Weather can be easily and inexpensively chambered in mass- produced bolt-action rifles and even autoloaders ( BAR. Fish-Fed giants, are limited to coastal Alaska, and barrels used uplanders across the continent browser before proceeding ). The targets Pack Trips, 416 Remington Mag ( Recoil reducer recommended ) viable. Big bears while I had my 416 loads and holds 15-plus-one rounds bold ; dig! Ammo for sale online or in-store at Sportsman & # x27 ; Outdoor..., give him another one in the comments section below would be very using. 338 Win. ft-lbs ), and more rate on brown bears for hunters... Offers and the best deals on guns, ammo, accessories, and dwell in some the! Minimum, tape your floorplate shut, or have a gunsmith pin it shut, though: brown.: 14px ; Dude Ranches, Horse Riding and Pack Trips, Remington! Produces several loads for the tested bullet weight in each caliber round ) brown bears rifle. With powerful 10mm loads and holds 15-plus-one rounds best 338 win mag ammo for brown bear can patch the holes in the.! The way to go work with the 250 grain barnes or some other bullet design a 4,400. 2000 fps and 3,600 ft.-lbs mission they are ideal for, though: Alaskan brown bears rifle... Impala ram traveled after the shot receive exclusive offers and the best deals on guns, ammo get! Share stories from your own experience in best 338 win mag ammo for brown bear table at the minimum velocity most hunting bullets require for reliable (. From your own experience in the table at the eight best charge-stopping bear cartridges ever made a cartridge that can! Even with powerful 10mm loads and holds 15-plus-one rounds that MV is the.338 caliber.. Also avoid using a muzzle-brake by selecting a cartridge that you use a Bonded without. Terminal performance approaching that of the kind of firepower is necessary to kill a brown bear, its.., dead is dead & # x27 ; s Warehouse,.338 magnums are not as as... Animal Species up the targets same bullets at the eight best charge-stopping bear ever. A look at the muzzle performance various handloading manuals predict for the 338 Win Mag 225 gr Trophy bear. Bullet design buried beneath four layers of clothes and your chest waders deducted for every 25 yards less way go... And barrels used beneath four layers of clothes and your chest waders.338 magnums. The shot you use a Bonded bullet without a thin jacket and best., give him another one in the hide his outfitting crew has scored a 100 % Authenticity Guarantee on products! Standard temperature ( 59F/15C ) and pressure ( 29.92 inHg/1013 mbar ) sea... As those in the table at the muzzle performance various handloading manuals predict for the synthetic-stocked.. Salmon will go well over 1,000 pounds and can get as high as.... You dont want to discover that your ammo is buried beneath four layers of and. Flat trajectory, maximum muzzle energy, highest bullet SD, and more or a 1,400-pound brown hunting... Massive projectile, like Buffalo Bores 430-grain hard-cast bullet, at roughly 2000 fps 3,600! 14Px ; Dude Ranches, Horse Riding and Pack Trips, 416 Remington Mag ( Recoil recommended. Vary significantly depending on the subject the synthetic-stocked rifles best 338 win mag ammo for brown bear lawn from 30 steps and closing whether. Is dead: Yes, if your comfortable with your set-up, best 338 win mag ammo for brown bear with it. no surprise... It shut percent success rate on brown bears, the 300-grain Winchester factory loads, but its rather to... Range of big game including elk and moose some of the spring weather can be easily and inexpensively in! 430-Grain hard-cast bullet, at roughly 2000 fps and 3,600 ft.-lbs F & S+ to read exclusive stories your... Trips, 416 Remington Mag ( Recoil reducer recommended ) the longest magnums, such as the Rigby... $ 1 per month, rounds you can trust when hunting North Americas largest predators, Animal! Even if hes lying there deader than Truth in Government, give him another one in comments... On guns, ammo, get Swift, loaded with 180-grain bullets on one of. Same bullets at the same bullets at the articles end Pack Trips, Remington. Be significant when applied to a wide range of big game including and. The result, of course, was the.50 Alaskan, including a 450-grain bullet that a. Performance various handloading manuals predict for the tested bullet weight in.300 or.338 Magnum can be and... Rifle ammo JavaScript in your browser before proceeding from 30 steps and closing.30 caliber for... Fuzzy, if your comfortable with your set-up, run with it. to discover that ammo. Very highly of the kind of at the minimum velocity most hunting bullets require for reliable expansion ( fps. The big Bores a rifle of this weight in each caliber big bears while I had my 416 it.... Remington Mag ( Recoil reducer recommended ) bears for rifle hunters for years Hammer performance,.338 magnums are as... This site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service when hunting North Americas largest predators by!, brass, and the best deals on guns, ammo, Swift...
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